Isang to dump rains until tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm Isang yesterday continued to bring heavy rains and strong winds, causing floods in Metro Manila and forcing the cancellation of domestic flights.

Isang is expected to intensify into a severe tropical storm as it approaches the Batanes Group of Islands in the next 24 hours, according to Nikos Peñaranda, weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The storm is seen to dump rains until Wednesday, Peñaranda said.

At least four flights of Skyjet and PAL Express from Manila to Basco, Batanes and vice versa were cancelled because of heavy rains.

Rains brought by the southwest monsoon enhanced Isang, flooding several areas in Metro Manila.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported gutter-deep flood in the the northbound lane of the EDSA-Aurora tunnel and Liwasang Bonifacio, while Rizal Avenue corner R. Papa Street at the boundary of Manila and Caloocan City was not passable to light vehicles because of waist-deep flood.

Knee-level water was also reported along Lacson Avenue in front of a mall, P. Burgos Avenue in front of Manila City Hall, some areas along Elliptical Road, Quezon Avenue, Araneta Avenue and Maria Clara Street, all in Quezon City.

P. Tuazon and Del Monte Avenue West Riverside in Quezon City, A. De Jesus Street in Caloocan City and MacArthur Bridge in Lawton, Manila were also flooded.

Signal No. 2 over Batanes

As of 5 p.m., signal No. 2 was raised over Batanes while signal No. 1 was hoisted over the Babuyan Group of Islands.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of the storm was located at 170 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 80 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 97 kph.

It was forecast to move west-northwest at a speed of 15 kph.

Isang was projected to be closest to Batanes between last night and early morning today.

Isang is forecast to leave the Philippine area of responsibility today.

However, light to moderate with possible occasionally heavy rains will persist over Ilocos region, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) Bicol and the Visayas in the next two days due to the enhanced southwest monsoon.

Peñaranda said sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of extreme Northern Luzon.

Isang is the ninth tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the first weather disturbance this month.

No new weather disturbance was forecast to enter the country this week, PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, four domestic flights were cancelled yesterday, the Manila International Airport Authority said.

Grounded were Skyjet’s M8-816 (Manila-Basco) and M8-817 (Basco-Manila) and PAL Express 2P2084 (Manila-Basco) and 2P2085 (Basco-Manila). – With Robertzon Ramirez, Rudy Santos